Safety device for railway switches



June 6, 1950 I s. R. GRANCHE 2,510,815

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed Aug. 6, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS June 6, 1950 s. R. GRANCHE 2,510,815

SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed Aug. 6, 1948 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 27 a I 6 27 Q 40 l 97 IlVVENTOR. fi/WMZQ ATTD RN EYE:

Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY BEVIGE FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Stephen R. Granc'he, Pittsburgh; Pa. Apnlication' Ati'gu'st 6, 1945*, shin 42,966

This invention relates to control devices for railway switches and particularly switches inyards where switching ispertormecland in' par ticular a control device for resiliently holding the switchpoints in: the position to which they are forced when the switch isrun through by an engineor cars which mayha-ve accidentally run through the switch andforced the points.

The purpose of this invention isto provide means tor automatically holdingswiteh points-in the position to which they have been-forced by an engine or cars running through the switch-.

In the usual type 01% switch the switch points are free to move away fromthe rails after the emergency lug at theswitch-has been: sheared by an engine or cars running through the switch, and as a, result, numerous trains have; beenwrecked. With this thought in mindthis invention contemplates a, switchcontrolhaving. shear pins in the ends of a spring,- mounting cylinder with a. piston in the cylinder connected to the switch points and with both the cylinderand piston connected to the switch stand; y

The object of this invention is, therefore, to

provide means for constructing a control devicef'or'railway switches wherein assoon assetety' pinsare sheared by n engine or cars accidentally forcing a; switch the switch points will beheld against the railsand the switch signal-will be set indicating the position to which the switch points have been forced;

Another object of the invention is to providenswitch control which automatically sets a, signal as a switch in'a yar'c'is ffinthfofigHin whichthe signal is also adapted to beset ifidniielly Another object of the invention is" to provide a. switch control device haviiig" shefirpiiis ends wherein the device is atziaptedtbfunetion in either direction thereby holdingswitcii points" against a straight or curved i'aIil. I

A further object of theinifentioii ist'o rovide the switch points and operating s signal as a switch is run which is of ssiiiipie-andeeoiioiiiicsl set forth in the claims QEpiiendecf hefeto crcsect in the accompanying drawings fofiiii'ng" part hereof, vi'ihereinz y Figure: 1' is a: viewil-lizstrstihg tiie ccntroi' do: vice on ai'swit'ch" tn cyii riner aind gesrnous ing" ot'the device shown in secti'ons- 6 Claims. (01.246- 3939 Figure 2 is a" detail showing amen View of the end of ne-eiimro1- c'ylifiiiei" and gear housing with carts broken away;

Figure 3 shows an ens e1v'at-ion o the switch Stand and sighed-1 mountin with parts bfdkefi' swag; 4

Figures is -view'siiiiilelrto thntshowh in Fig= ure 1 illustrating the device after the swith l i' ats Beef!- r'uii b3 5th engine or car's",- in which the after the points have been forced by engine or runningtniougiithe switch. I f, Fignr'e' 7' is' s longitudinal sectionthrough switciio trol cylinder with parts broken away; andwith the carts sh'o'wn on afi enlarged Scale; Figure 8 is s siniiliir view taken from a: jioirit at right angles to unit of the sect n shown in Fig iire v, with parts shown iii elevation-and parts in section: 0 H m p I Figure 91s a side ei'evaticnaiviwoi the'c'vliii: der'witiips t roken-away. H f p Figure 10" is a; cros section through the =c'yI-- inserts-ken on line i-t --ic of Figures.

igure i1 is a similar section taken on line Figure 12 is s similtir section tsiiefi on line |2' '2 of Figure '7'.

Figure 13 is similar r3 is of Figurei; 7 Figure 14 is a; detail showing one ofthe siitii or ieieasi' ig ins. iie'frring tome are 'gs wherein li e ref efhce'cliairafcters denote 361i ng'p' rtsthe' switch cori'tibldevice' of this invention includes a cylinder lfi heving e1r piston I i therein a, conne-cting rec la, a; signer ictustin link it, a; gear housing ii -and o3 s'ig'najl l 5.

section taken on line ylinder in: is; crowded witness" s and" mounted therein ti hd' fesil'ie'ntlij held away frofii gs and 2 shown in the piston by spr i. The need is" held in tiiepcisi giire'l by'strsiisverse 15in gfr' windiest-ends t rough the" pin open;

ing'} with the" nds iiteiidirigT through sib'tsfzt and in the" cylinder, and the" enter justable as the face of the head engages the end of a threaded sleeve 30 on the rod l2, and the sleeve is held by a lock nut 3|.

The head IS in the opposite end of th cylinder is provided with a smooth bore 32 through which the rod l2 extends, and this is spaced from the piston H by a lock nut 33. The head 19 is provided with extending pins 34 and 35 that are threaded in the head and extend through slots 36 and 31 in the wall of the cylinder Hi. This head is also held by extending ends 26-A of pins 21-A similar to the pins 26 and 21, that are held in threaded openings 38 and 39 in the wall of the cylinder.

The piston II is provided with an eye bolt ll) that is threaded in an opening Al and the eye bolt extends through a slot 42 in the cylinder. The link I3 is connected to the eye and the opposite end is connected to an arm 43 on a sleeve 44 at the base of the signal by a pin 45. The end of the cylinder is provided with a rod 46 having nuts 41 thereon, and this rod is connected by a link 48 to an arm 49 of the gear housing [4, wherein as the hand lever 55 is moved to turn the signal the arm 49, through the gears 5| and 52 moves the cylinder in, and with th piston ll held as shown in Figure '7 the link I3 will turn the signal.

The inner end of the connecting rod i2 is threaded as shown in Figure 7 and the outer end is pivotally connected to a bar 53 by a pin 54, and with the bar 53 connected to the switch points 55 and 55 by the bolts 5? and 58, respectively, and with the elements positioned as shown in Figure 7 the wheels 59 on the axle 6U,traveling in the direction of the arrow will force the points 55 and 56 over, breaking or shearing the points 26A of the pins 2l--A. In this action the cylinder I0 is held stationary by the rod 46 and arm 49 and the link I3 is moved outwardly by the piston ll and rod l2 so that the signal is turned.

When the device is used with a switch set as illustrated in Figure 5, the wheels 59 on an axle 60, traveling in the direction of the arrow shown in Figure 6, move the points to the position shown in Figure 6, breaking or shearing the ends 26--A of the pins 2!A in the far end of the cylinder so that the head I8 is released and the spring 25 snaps the head is toward the far end of the cylinder and the signal is turned by the piston ll which is actuated by the spring 2]. As the pins 21 are broken the head I8 is forced toward the end of the cylinder, by the spring 20, and as illustrated in Figure 6, the switch point will be positively held against the rail. In Figure 4 the spring acting against the piston ll holds the rails in the position shown, and in Figure 6 the spring 2!, also acting against the piston H, holds the points.

The cylinder I!) is inserted in the connection between the switch and arm 49 of the gear housing of the signal and with the parts positioned as shown in Figure '7, the switch may be operated in the usual manner with the signal being turned by the link 13 from the piston I I.

By this means the switch ma be actuated in the usual manner and should the switch be accidentally forced by an engine or car running through the switch one of th sets of pins will be broken to permit the point to move against the rail and with the pins broken the switch point will be held against the rail by one of the springs of the cylinder. The device may be reset by compressin the spring or springs through the ends of the pins in the heads that extend through the cylinder wall, and while the springs are compressed new pins may be screwed into the openings therefor in the cylinder wall.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A railway switch control comprising a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, a connectin rod on which the piston is adiustably mounted having an end extended from one end of the cylinder, means for connecting the outer end of the connecting rod to the movable points of a switch, traveling heads in the cylinder positioned on opposite sides of the piston, shear pins in the cylinder limiting outward movement of the heads, springs positioned between the heads and piston urging the heads against the pins, means connecting the cylinder to the operating lever of the switch whereby the cylinder is moved as the switch is opened and closed, and means connecting the piston in the cylinder to a signal associated with the operating lever whereby he signal is actuated with the lever and also with accidental forcing of the switch.

2. In a control device for a railway switch having switch points actuated by a switch lever through a rod, a cylinder having one end connected to the switch lever, a piston in the cylinder, a connecting rod in the cylinder on which the piston is adjustably mounted, one end of the said connecting rod extended through the end of the cylinder opposite to the end connected to the switch lever, traveling heads in the cylinder positioned on opposite sides of the piston, shear pins in the cylinder positioned to engage the outer surfaces of the heads, compression springs in the cylinder between the heads and piston for urging the heads against the shear pins, a bar connecting the extended end of the connecting rod to the rail points of the switch, a signal, and means actuating the signal by the piston in the cylinder.

3. In a control device as described in claim 2, means adjusting the positions of the said heads in relation to the connecting rod of the piston.

4. A control device as described in claim 2, wherein the heads are retained by pins extended through slots in the wall of the cylinder.

5. In a control device for a railway switch having switch points, a signal and a switch operating lever, the combination which comprises a cylinder, means connecting one end of the cylinder to the switch lever, a piston in the cylinder, a connecting rod on which the piston is positioned, means connecting the said connecting rod to the switch point of the switch, means adjusting the position of the piston on the said connecting rod, traveling heads also positioned in the cylinder and spaced on opposite sides of the piston the-said traveling head in the end of the cylinder adjacent the track being slidably positioned on the said connecting rod and the traveling head in the opposite end of the cylinder being positioned to abut the end of the connecting rod, compression springs positioned between the said piston and traveling heads, and breakable meansadjustably mounted in opposite ends of the cylinder and positioned whereby the breaking means in one end of the cylinder are broken by one of said traveling heads when the switch points are accidentally forced, the spring in the end of the cylinder in which the breakable means is 76 broken retaining the parts in position whereby 5 the switch point is temporarily held in the position to which it has been forced.

6. In a control device for a railway switch having switch points, a signal and a switch operating lever, the combination which comprises a cylinder, means connecting one end of the cylinder of the switch lever, a piston in the cylinder, a connecting rod on which the piston is positioned, means connecting the said connecting rod to the switch point of the switch, means adjusting the position of the piston on the said connecting rod, traveling heads also positioned in the cylinder and spaced on opposite sides of the piston the said traveling head in the end of the cylinder adjacent the track being slidably positioned on the said connecting rod and the traveling head in the opposite end of the cylinder being positioned to abut the end of the connecting rod, compression springs positioned between the said piston and traveling heads, breakable means adjustably mounted in opposite ends of the cylinder and positioned whereby the breaking means REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 795,157 Nichols July 18, 1905 919,871 Ingram et al Apr. 27, 1909 1,877,742 Taylor Sept. 13, 1932 

